Heastie said he worries that a constitutional convention would be steered by big-money special interests, and New Yorkers could end up losing rights in a constitutional convention instead of gaining them.

“We should be very, very careful in exposing the constitution to the whims of someone from outside the state who could decide to spend millions of dollars to put forth a position,” Heastie said.

Flanagan said there are better and less costly ways to change the state’s constitution. For instance, he said voters will get a chance this fall to decide whether to end pensions for politicians who are convicted of a felony.

“We have a mechanism, in my opinion, already in place,” Flanagan said. “And I’m comfortable with the way that works.”

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New Yorkers will soon get a chance to decide whether to hold a constitutional convention in New York, but some government reform groups say there needs to be some major changes made first - including banning double dipping by state lawmakers who might become delegates.

In about a year and half, November 2017, a vote will be held on whether New York should hold what could be the first constitutional convention in over half a century.